Drowning, boating deaths put spotlight on water safety, Bouchard says

5:44 PM,
Jul. 31, 2013

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard talks about boater safety at Cass Lake in Waterford on Wednesday. There is an emphasis on water safety after the deaths of two children on Sylvan Lake and the recent drowning of a father swimming with his family on Cass Lake.

Written by

Tammy Stables Battaglia
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Several tragedies on Oakland County lakes this year, including the deaths of two children being pulled on a tube, have county officials reinforcing the importance of boater safety.

Water-related deaths in Oakland County had plummeted from a high of seven a few years ago to two in 2012, Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. But so far this year, five people have died in four incidents on Oakland County waterways, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The jump led Bouchard and Beaumont Hospitals to host a safety-focused event at Cass Lake today. ...